Pakistan Urges a ‘Permanent Solution’ on U.S. Drone Strikes

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari pressed the United States during a NATO meeting on Sunday to help find a “permanent solution” to U.S. drone strikes that have fueled tensions between the two uneasy allies.

“The president said that Pakistan wanted to find a permanent solution to the drone issue as it not only violated our sovereignty but also inflamed public sentiments,” Zardari spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement after the Pakistani leader met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the summit.

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The tempo of drone strikes, the centerpiece of U.S. strategy to fight militants based in Pakistan, has increased substantially since President Barack Obama took office in 2009.